Inti-Illimani: Interview

Inti-Illimani are currently celebrating a 45 year milestone in their long and varied history as Chile’s best known pioneers of la Nueva Canción Chilena. Champions of the Andean tradition with a social and political conscience, Inti-Illimani have long been respected both at home and abroad. The group were exiled in Italy when the Allende government was usurped by General Augosto Pinochet but returned to a warm welcome in Santiago on Independence Day in 1988. They subsequently went on to support the ‘no’ campaign against eight more years of Pinochet’s regime and in 2001 the group were awarded the Premio a la Música Presidente de la República under the ‘popular music’ category. Moreover, they have enjoyed recognition and acclaim for their work throughout the world, not to mention the platinum selling records they have produced that include La Nueva Canción Chilena and Viva Chile!

The group’s name is derived from the Aymaran words Inti (the Incan Sun god) and Illimani, the endonym for the largest mountain of the Cordilla Real in Bolivia, standing at some 6000 plus metres into the Andean heavens. It is perhaps no small irony then that the group’s beginnings were found in the dark basement canteen room of the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, Universidad Tèchnica del Estado (UTE) in Santiago. In 1966, while Dylan and the Beatles released Blonde on Blonde and Revolver, respectively, Saturday mornings in the University basement were home to the peña foklórica (folk club) where students would gather with wine and empanadas to listen to groups from the University. It was here that the mighty Inti-Illimani spirit was born.

Following a split in 2001 (Inti-Illimani & Inti-Illimani Histórico), the band continues to record and tour the world. Like wonderfully soft invocations, the musical experience swoops down unbidden into your consciousness. Examples include the rhythmically infectious Rondombe, the classic, powerful Samba Lando, the melancholy La Tarde Se Ha Puesto Triste and the ode to Che Guevara.

Founder member Jorge Coulon spoke to chileno.co.uk about the Inti journey…

Jorge

Chileno: You have had a very illustrious career so far, what have been some of your most memorable moments?
Han tenido una carrera distinguida, cuáles han sido algunos de sus momentos más memorables?

Jorge Coulon: There are many different moments and artistically speaking, these include concerts in places like the Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, the legendary Manaus Theatre in the Brazilian Amazon and a host of important stages around the world …
Without doubt and from an emotional point of view certainly our return to Chile in 1988, over 6000 people who were waiting at the airport and the 200,000 who gathered in La Bandera park a week later…
And more recently, the multitude who attended our concert in Rome, in Via dei Fori Imperiali on the 30th anniversary of our arrival to the city, nearly a million students on August 22nd at Parque O’Higgins in Santiago and the thousands of protesters from Aysén.Jorge Coulon: Son muchos y de distintas características, artísticamente los conciertos en algunos lugares como el Royal Albert Hall, el Teatro de la Opera de Sydney, el Palacio de Bellas Artes en Ciudad de México, el legendario Teatro de Manaos en la Amazonía brasileña y un sinnúmero de escenarios importantes alrededor del mundo…
Del punto de vista emotivo sin duda nuestro regreso a Chile en 1988, las más de 6000 personas que nos esperaban en el aeropuerto y las 200.000 que se juntaron en el parque La Bandera una semana después…
También y más recientemente la multitud que asistió a nuestro concierto en Roma, en vía dei Fori Imperiali con motivo de los 30 años de nuestra llegada a esa ciudad, el casi millón de estudiantes el 22 de agosto en el Parque O’Higgins de Santiago, los miles de ayseninos movilizados contra el abandono…

Chileno: In the early days, when you were playing in the University, did you ever imagine you would have such an eventful life?
En sus comienzos, cuando estaban tocando en la Universidad, alguna vez imaginaron que llegarían a tener una vida tan animada?

JC: Never … We always played with passion, to share with others…JC: Nunca… Siempre tocamos por pasión, por compartir…

Chileno: You supported Allende’s Unidad Popular, what was your role, if any, after he was elected?
Uds. Apoyaron al Gobierno de la Unidad Popular de Allende, cuáles fueron sus roles, si hubo alguno, después de su elección?JC: If the question refers to a specific role assigned to someone, there was none. We assumed, like many artists, that this government was a great opportunity for justice and development for the people of Chile and that we should be with him [Allende] and defend him and the achievementbuilt overnearly a century ofstruggle for the dignityof workers.JC: Si la pregunta se refiere a algún rol asignado por alguien, ninguno. Sí asumimos, como tantos artistas, que ese Gobierno era una gran oportunidad de justicia y desarrollo para el pueblo de Chile y que debíamos estar con él y defenderlo como una conquista construida en casi un siglo de lucha por la dignidad de los trabajadores.

Chileno: Things changed dramatically for everyone in Chile in 1973. You were in Italy at the time. Now that many years have passed, what are your feelings about what happened and how you may have changed?
La situación en Chile cambio dramáticamente en 1973. Uds estaban de gira en Italia en aquel momento. Ahora que bastantes años han pasado, qué es lo que sienten de lo que sucedió y si ha cambiado su percepción?JC: We haven’t changed our political perception of what happened, a success in Allende’s government would have meant the end of the dominance of transnational corporations over Latin America. They did everything to thwart the Chilean experience. Probably we have changed, naturally, our perception of the world, regarding democracy and society, but not profoundly, to consider that social justice should be the main and final goal of democracy.JC:No ha cambiado nuestra percepción política de lo que sucedió, un éxito de Allende en su Gobierno habría significado el fin de la dominación de las transnacionales sobre América Latina. Debían hacer, y lo hicieron, todo por hacer fracasar la experiencia chilena. Probablemente ha cambiado, como es natural, nuestra percepción del mundo, de la democracia y la sociedad, pero no en lo profundo, en considerar que la justicia social debe ser el objetivo principal y final de la democracia.

Chileno: What are you currently most excited about in your work?
En qué están entusiasmados en estos momentos relacionado a su trabajo artístico?JC: In collaboration with various musicians from Chile and abroad, these are times of great collaboration with other musicians and singers. A new and exciting generation of singers and musicians are gaining ground in Chile, very interesting, passionate and committed. On the other hand, we had the opportunity to share the stage and work with Francesca Gagnon from Quebec, with Marta Gomez from Colombia, with several Chilean musicians of our generation and the younger generations. It’s a path that excites us and reflects a new atmosphere that breathes through Chile, less closed, less individualistic.JC: En la colaboración con distintos músicos chilenos y extranjeros, son tiempos de gran colaboración con otros músicos y cantantes. Una nueva e interesante generación de cantantes y músicos se abre paso en Chile, muy interesante, apasionada y comprometida. Por otra parte, hemos tenido oportunidad de compartir escenario e incluso trabajos con Francesca Gagnon de Quebec, con Marta Gomez de Colombia, con diversos músicos chilenos de nuestra generación y de generaciones más jóvenes. Es un camino que nos entusiasma y que refleja un nuevo ambiente menos cerrado, menos individualista que se respira en Chile.

Chileno: What has the experience been like playing in Europe and Latin-America?
Cómo ha sido la experiencia de haber tocado tocando en Europa y Latinoamérica?JC: Coming to terms with similarities and differences and trying to understand and learn from these experiences. We are more aware of our limitations, but we know very well our strengths as musicians and as societies, as cultural entities.JC: Haber tomado conciencia de coincidencias y diferencias tratando de comprender y sacar lecciones de unas y otras. Conocemos mejor nuestras limitaciones, pero sabemos bien cuales son nuestra fortalezas, como músicos y como sociedades, como entes culturales.

Chileno: How do you think Chile as a nation has changed over the years and what has the future holds?
Cómo creen que Chile ha cambiado como nación en el transcurso de los años y que nos entrega el futuro?

JC: Chile is at a crossroads of culture and identity; this critical situation will determine the outcome of its future as a nation, in terms of national community. An economic model (and therefore cultural) that promotes individualism has been imposed by the state on a community that it is based on family values, solidarity, collaboration. The current situation is a rebellion to that model by the working and middle classes, those who for generations valued culture, education, honest work, political participation and a modest lifestyle, but who were less vociferous on the issues of guarantees of welfare, services, health, work, pensions, etc..

It has become evident that the way of managing and producing wealth, will never come to those sections of society and secondly that the model is based on the systematic expropriation of the already diminished wages of those who work hard. People have realised that their income must fund basic services always known as a right, health, education, pensions and so on. While big business in the country, natural resources, mining, tourism, fishing, etc. are owned by multinationals in partnership with national economic groups, that can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This expropriation of the common wealth for the benefit of very few has exhausted the patience of the Chileans.

How will the future be? It remains to be seen. It will depend on the capacity of the people, the middle classes and professionals to organize themselves and make serious demands to ensure that they get their fair share of the pie… but nothing is cast in stone, it could also be that Chileans are not able to overcome this difficult battle that is played in the minefield of an imperfect and incomplete democracy. It depends, in summary, on all of us, on our ability and our intelligence.